Andrey Bystritskiy

Anatoly Borovkov

Elena Bogdanova

Paulo Nogueira Batista Jr.

Shri Deepak Bagla

Andrei Blinov

Lyudmila Babynina

Tang Bei

Iwona Borkowska

Olga Butorina

Andrey Bystritskiy

Russian Federation

Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club

In 1985-1991, Andrey Bystritskiy was engaged in research as a Senior Fellow at the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences. He has been in the media industry since 1991, serving as a member of the board of Radio of Russia and as an author and host of radio and television broadcasts. From 1993 to 1996, he headed sociological research at the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK).

Between 1996 and 1997, he was in charge of the Society Department at the Itogi (Russian Newsweek) magazine. In 1997-1998, he held the position of Deputy Director General for Information at TV Tsentr. The following year, he worked as a Producer at the BBC Russian news service. In 1999, he also joined the Organizing Committee of the Unofficial Moscow Festival as one of its Co-Chairs, served on the Editorial Board of the Moscow Alternative newspaper, and was appointed Chairman of the Mayak State Radio Broadcasting Company. In 2000, Bystritskiy became Director General of the Vesti State Television Company.

From 2000 to 2008, he served as Deputy Director General of VGTRK and Director of the Department of Information Programmes for the Russia TV Channel. Concurrently, from 2000 to 2013, he was a member of the Board of Directors and Vice President of Euronews. Between 2005 and 2007, he was Editor-in-Chief of the Apologia monthly magazine. From 2008 to 2014, he held the position of Chairman of the Voice of Russia State Radio Company.

Since 2014, he has been Dean of the Faculty of Creative Industries at the National Research University – Higher School of Economics and Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club.

Andrey Bystritskiy is a Professor and holds a Candidate of Sciences degree in Pedagogy (1989). A member of the Union of Writers, he was awarded the Order of Honour in 2007 and received a Commendation from the President of the Russian Federation in 2024.

He is the author of several books and numerous publications in newspapers and magazines.

Materials

Message from the Chairman

What Does the Coming Day Have in Store for Us?

A growing feeling is taking hold that the bifurcation point of the current phase of global development has been reached—and, accordingly, passed. The world is already moving along a new trajectory, and all of us with it, of course. The only question is: what kind of trajectory is it? There are plenty of signs pointing to one or another type of development, yet their interpretation is far from obvious, writes Andrey Bystritskiy.

24.04.2026

Opinions

Russia and India: Relying on Themselves and Each Other

Russia and India have to rely on themselves and their time-tested bilateral relations, as well as on the continued development of associations such as BRICS and the SCO. Both countries can do much together to address security challenges in Eurasia and beyond. They will likely have to exercise strategic patience again—a quality they both possess in abundance, write Andrey Bystritskiy and Ivan Timofeev.

03.02.2026

Message from the Chairman

Time Waits for No One

The collapse of the old world order has accelerated into an avalanche. Hence, right here and right now—in our day and age—some new, as yet unexplored, world is taking shape. And if we wish to exert any influence on the process of its formation, we cannot afford to hesitate. We must act. Otherwise, what emerges may be something we find deeply unappealing.